…as Governor Sule approves N16m as seed money for trainees
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has approved sixteen million naira as seed money for the first set of graduating trainees at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Second Chance School in Akwanga.
Governor Sule announced this during the graduation ceremony of the school in Kurmin Tagwaye in Akwanga Local Government Area on Saturday.
The 160 trainees who are mostly school dropouts, widows and orphans within the age of 15 to 25, will each receive one hundred thousand naira to start their own businesses after acquiring skills in eight different trades namely computer, weaving, knitting, tailoring, catering, horticulture, cosmetology and pottery.
A visibly elated Governor Sule instantly reviewed upwardly the starter pack provided for the graduates from forty thousand naira to one hundred thousand naira in order for the trainees to be able to set up their businesses.
He said he was particularly happy because his administration was able to achieve the purpose of establishing the Second Chance Model School as conceived by UBEC.
“First, let us thank the Almighty God for giving us the opportunity to see a day like this. For me, today is indeed one of my happiest days. It’s always exciting to think about something, start it, and be able to see it mature to the point where we are graduating students from this Second Chance Model School.
“There were going to be six of its kind in Nigeria, one each in the six geopolitical zones. The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboi, wanted me to select a location for the school, and I picked Akwanga.
“This is because the other zones have several similar institutions, but Akwanga zone is lagging behind. It’s solely because of that that I selected Akwanga to host this institution.
“On the day we are commissioning this school, Dr Bobboi said something that made me sit up. He said when they were thinking of setting up this institution, Nasarawa State would be ideal because he knew the governor, and he knew the governor would drive it until it is fully implemented,” he stated.
The Governor called on the graduating trainees to go and use the seed money in order to become employers of labour and to train others.
He promised to futher collaborate and support the House of Representatives member representing the area, Hon. J. J Umaru, who has indicated interest in setting up a skills acquisition centre adjacent to the Second Chance Model School.
“Now that I know that he has that request and being a technical man myself, we will do it politically. Because when we were training you, we didn’t train APC people only, we said we were just training everybody. I will follow that procedure with him to ensure that the people who are going to be trained there are the people of this area irrespective of their political parties. I will help him also in ensuring that we build in skills that are needed by our people,” he added.
The Governor appreciated the immediate past Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Fati Jimeta, present Commissioner, Dr. John Mamman, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, the Chun Mada, His Royal Highness, Samson Gamu Yare, as well as the Coordinator and staff of the school, for working hard towards realizing the vision behind establishing the institution.
He equally appreciated the people of Akwanga Local Government Area and particularly the people of Kurmin Tagwaye for accepting to not only host the institution but for safeguarding the facility.
He assured that his administration would provide the needs of the school particularly electricity, kiln for the pottery department and a vehicle.
In a welcome address, Programme Coordinator of the Second Chance Model School Akwanga, Dr. Augustina Esson Ombugadu, appreciated the UBEC for building school furnished with facilities that fits into three different skills, which was later upgraded to eight by Governor Abdullahi Sule in order to increase the number of enrollment.
While describing the event as historic, Dr. Ombugadu said the institution has succeeded in taking the trainees out of the street and empowering them with livelihood skills.
“This is addressing so many possible vices in their lives ranging from vulnerability, early marriages, street hawking, among other harmful practices,” she said.
The programme coordinator however appealed to the Governor to provide the institution with uninterrupted power supply, kiln for its pottery department and a vehicle for logistics.
She equally appealed for the intervention of the state government on behalf of 20 of the graduating trainees who have indicated interest to go back and complete their secondary school education.
Dr. Ombugadu charged the graduating trainees to become worthy ambassadors of the school.
In a vote of thanks on behalf of the graduating trainees, outgoing senior prefect of the school, Hadiza Abdullahi Ramalan, thanked UBEC and Governor Sule for establishing the school which is giving them not only hope but a life they can be proud of.
